"Plant Samples--Sample #16--Wild Cotton, 1931"

Summary

In 1928, Henry Ford established rubber tree plantations in the Brazilian rainforest to supply rubber for automobile production. He also explored how to profit from the native plants already growing on his land holdings. Samples of Brazilian plants like this were sent to Ford's Rouge factory in Dearborn, Michigan, to determine if they could be used to make commercially viable products.

In 1928, Henry Ford established rubber tree plantations in the Brazilian rainforest to supply rubber for automobile production. He also explored how to profit from the native plants already growing on his land holdings. Samples of Brazilian plants like this were sent to Ford's Rouge factory in Dearborn, Michigan, to determine if they could be used to make commercially viable products.